When
going to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), the studies and papers that
will need to cited and presented will have to have the credibility and
standard of something like an academic journal. Knowing this I put
a call out for whatever sources people could refer me to, such as studies
and papers. The responses were reworded for the following list
in case the word appears odd. Once a certain study, paper or academic
journal was in hand it would have to reviewed in detail in order to explain
why is was included in the material enclosed to the OMB. It has to
be put in the context of the issues at that Hearing, to show why it is
relative.

Due to
time constraints/lack of energy (after more then 10 years of battling the
City's efforts to eliminate the Cawthra Bush environmental Significance,
who's planning staff were refusing to even answer questions about the development
before the OMB), and the fact, many references were delivered to me too
late to be used in the actually OMB hearing (for a lay-person even finding
a scientific study is a journey in its self, much less to understand it),
I could not even list why certain items were enclosed to the OMB.
A request for more time was made and it was refused. Being way past
burn-out and trying to get people involved in the community to come out
to the many meetings before the OMB Hearing, does this.

Most
of the items listed were not reviewed or even found but are listed as they
could be useful to someone else. This list is far from a complete
on the subjects noted but does provide a starting point and some understanding
in how to search further.

In the
last 12 years, there have been at least 1,448 articles published on the
topics of "fragmentation and birds", 5,483 on "fragmentation and mammals",
491 on "fragmentation and amphibians", 155 on "fragmentation and reptiles",
8,002 on "fragmentation and plants". Ontario bird studies at least
17 published since 1990. Ontario mammal studies at least 18 published
since 1990.

The above
reflects a very brief search of literature databases; given a few full
days, I'd likely find a lot more by using more sophisticated key words.
Additionally, some of the above will be more concerned with "genetic" fragmentation
and are less relevant to RIM Park Issues. Conservatively, I'd estimate
there have been about 7,500 articles published on ecological fragmentation
effects worldwide since 1990. If you add "urban" into the mix, you
can increase the number of articles by a large factor; ditto for the term
"edge effect". In all cases, the articles note that fragmentation
and decline of forest cover harms nearly every native species.(above by Stephen D. Murphy,
B.Sc. (Hons.), Ph.D.)

In my
case, finding the right wording and what to ask people for or about was
the first hurdle to get over. In general, material dealing with our
concerns about increasing the local population, with no other local parks
for the newcomers to use as their recreation area, the Cawthra Bush would
be, as City staff have said "pounded into the ground" from over use.
Finding something right on that issue is hard but that is the nature of
scientific papers, find as close to the subject as you can and work from
there. Also, many studies on this kind of subject would not likely
get the funding they should as it would not support the wild over- development
of our farm lands that is going on.

The titles
of the studies and papers listed on this Web-page can help as a guide.
Here is a general list of key words;

More in keeping
with how people use a forest - Visitor impact assessment - Visitor monitoring
methods and Carrying Capacity.

Sources are;

"Leisure Sciences", "Journal
of Applied Recreation Research" and "Leisure: The Journal of the Canadian
Association for Leisure Studies". Parks Services would have further
documents - The Canadian National Park Service, Parks and Wilderness Society
of Canada, Lakehead University School of Outdoor Recreation, Parks and
Tourism and The U.S. National Park Service.See section 8.

Such as;

Estimating Day use Social Carrying
Capacity in Yosemite National Parkby Robert Manning, William Valliere,
Benjammin Wang, Steven Lawson and Peter Newman (University of Vermont)
- Leisure V.27, 2002-2003, pp. 77 to 102.

Studies
and papers that show or suggest the increasing the human population and
urban development around forested & environmentally significant areas
generally leads to its decline and loss of its environmental significance.
In most cases that would be the most sensitive of species, such as amphibians
or a small threatened species like the Jefferson Salamander.

Amphibians
are considered to be a key indicator of forest ecosystem health due to
their interaction with water by way of their porous skins. However,
they are often hard to find, especially mole salamanders like the Jefferson
Salamander. Bird in forests have become the most studied group as
can be clearly seen by the number of papers out there, they are a pretty
sensitive indicator and as they can easy fly from locations that no longer
suites them, react quickly to environmental changes. They also, have
fairly large territories that they can easily and quickly survey.

Land use and avian species diversity
along an urban gradient.By Blair RB.ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS 6 (2):
506-519 MAY 1996Effect of construction of
roads and like structures on birds (notes gradual decline takes decades
for full ecological impacts to show up).

Separating the noise from the
noise: A finding in support of the "Niche Hypothesis," that birds are influenced
by
human-induced noise in natural habitats.By Stone E.ANTHROZOOS 13 (4): 225-231 2000The best article specifically
about birds affected by noise pollution.

There is some 18 pages to this,
so only part is noted here. The issue of urban development around
a forested area, having a negative impact birds nesting in the forested
area, is the central issue regarding the way the City of Mississauga wants
to eliminate the low density around the Cawthra Bush.

Wood Thrush
nesting study in forested hills in the City of Waterloo and rural control
sites in Waterloo Region, 2003.By Lyle
Friesen and Colin Zantinge.Canadian
Wildlife Service.

INTRODUCTION

Urban
and suburban land use has been identified as the single largest threat
to bird populations in the eastern forests of North America (Rich et al.
2003). Urban and suburban expansion results in the outright loss of forests
and, in turn, the birds that reside in them. However, habitat does not
have to be lost to have major impacts on the resident breeding birds. Numerous
studies have shown that certain portions of the bird community - particularly
neotropical migrants - decline or disappear when the landscape enclosing
their forests fills up with houses (Kluza et al. 2000; Dawson et al. 2001).
All of the studies documenting these changes to bird communities beset
by surrounding development occurred long after the advent of development.
Few, if any, studies within the scientific literature have traced the response
of the forest bird community, especially those aspects relating to demographic
parameters (nest success, productivity, parasitism, return rates), through
the actual course of development, from beginning to end.

The Canadian
Wildlife Service, in partnership with the City of Waterloo, the Environmental
Conservation Branch, Environment Canada, and the University of Waterloo,
has conducted an ongoing study of nesting Wood Thrushes in and around the
City of Waterloo beginning in 1998. One of the study's primary objectives
is to assess the impacts of new and ever-increasing levels of urbanization
adjacent to a 140-ha forest on Wood Thrushes within the forest. Another
objective is to determine the temporal scale in which negative impacts
appear, if they appear at all. A third objective is to identify factors
contributing to any changes that do occur.

...

DISCUSSION

In 2003,
for the first time, there are strong and unsettling indications that the
Wood Thrush population has "crashed" in the first section of Forested Hills
to experience significant levels of adjacent development. From 1998 to
2000, a period that could be considered pre-development, FH1 supported
a viable Wood Thrush community that equaled or surpassed the most stringent
estimates of our source-sink population model (Fig. 7). Productivity at
FH1 in each of these years exceeded that of the control sites. By 2003,
the situation was strikingly reversed. FH1 fared worse than the control
sites on almost every demographic measure that we recorded. Productivity
in FH1 was now so low that the annual recruitment of young into the population
could not possibly offset mortality, and the area clearly was a population
sink. By contrast, productivity in the controls from 2001 to 2003
was high, especially in 2003 when it easily exceeded the source-sink threshold.
Productivity in FH2 also far exceeded the source-sink threshold in the
past three years; in fact, the 2003 productivity level in FH2 is the highest
recorded in any area of this study.

...

What
then, if not intense predation pressures, has emptied FH1 of many of its
Wood Thrushes? One possibility is that Wood Thrushes, for whatever
reason(s), have an aversion to residential landscapes and may simply avoid
woodlots with a profusion of nearby houses. Several years ago, we speculated
that older birds would exhibit a deep attachment to their established territories,
compelling them to return regardless of the changes that occurred in the
surrounding landscape. However, losses to the original population through
natural attrition would not be compensated for by the arrival of new immigrants
who would opt instead for less urbanized environs.

The following
is to show that there is evidence to support that changes in the environment
affect migratory bird population dynamics, such as nesting or event visiting
a forest. This study does talk about effects to a larger forest,
in our case the low density surrounding neighbourhood with its deep lots,
supports a larger then normal number of trees and shrubs per-lot then found
in many suburban neighbourhoods. The vegetation around the Cawthra
Bush would be habitat. That the City zoning for townhouses (for 30
per-acre), and the plan put forward, for 30 townhouses and five free standing
houses would significantly reduce the habitat potential that would exist
if there was only one home per-lot, in keeping with the character of the
surrounding community. The City has zoning the whole area around
the Cawthra Bush for the same kind of habitat elimination and in the "Wood
Thrush nesting study in forested hills in the City of Waterloo".
Urban development around a forest is harmful to its wildlife.

CEAA specifically requires an
environmental assessment to consider the cumulative environmental effects
of a project. These are effects that are likely to result from the
project in combination with other projects or activities that have been
or will be carried out. (CEAA ss.16(1)(a)) The cumulative removal
of forest habitat for projects or from logging will result in cumulative
effects on migratory birds. In many situations, migratory bird populations
in forest habitats have already been affected. Some species have threshold
population levels below which reproductive capacity and immigration are
not able to overcome stresses from adverse environmental effects.
Cumulative fragmentation of forest habitat and increased edge effect in
developed landscapes can result in significant nest predation, parasitism,
and decreased reproductive success. Additionally, the effects of
previous or other activities in the landscape should be considered when
determining the cumulative effects on forest habitat of migratory birds.

There is particular concern when
large expanses of the landscape are logged or slated to be logged
(e.g., boreal forest). Cumulatively, the result is a net reduction
in overall forest habitat, and the potential exists for significant reductions
in bird populations or for eventual losses of whole bird communities associated
with that type of habitat.

Selected references;

Forest practices code of British
Columbia: biodiversity guidebook.By the Government of British
Columbia. 1995.B.C. Environment and B.C. Ministry
of Forests. 99 pp.

Sustainable forests: a Canadian
commitment.By the Canadian Council of Forest
Ministers. 1992.National Forest Strategy, Canadian
Council of Forest Ministers, Hull, Quebec. 51 pp.

The Metropolitan Conservation
Alliance was suggested. They are in the business of helping communities
find value in conservation. Their director, Dr. Michael Klemens,
a herpetologist, has published on the detrimental effects of development/land
conversion on the genetic integrity of Jefferson salamanders.

*

Hyla Ecological out of Massachusetts
has done some research on mole salamanders and forests in urban landscapes.

A good place to try would be -
the Niagara Escarpment Commission, Ontario's Niagara Escarpment (ONE) Monitoring
Program, 232 Guelph St., Georgetown, Ont. L7G 4B1. The following link may
contain useful papers. You would have to search the left hand corner
"Sessions" to view all the titles of papers.http://www.escarpment.org/leading_edge/LE01/webpages/papers.htm
4).
Vernal ponds as the indicator habitat and protection measures
(mostly in the US);

5).
Is it Smart Growth to significantly increase human populationdensities so close to a
Forested, Wetlands and/or Environmentally
Significant areas?

The City
of Mississauga by way of its zoning is calling for the elimination of the
low density community surrounding the Cawthra Bush. To end an environmental
success story. The community that has acted as a buffer from urban
development in the rest of the City, protecting one of the few Old-Growth
forest in a City with a THREATEN species. Both the developer and
City calls it intensification and smart growth but they are in the minority.

What
we are saying is that the existing low density is a key element in the
success of the Cawthra Bush's survival as an urban Old-Growth ecosystem.
Back yards so big people do not need parks and townhouses they want to
build will have backyards so small it forces people to the Cawthra Bush
for recreation area. Those deep & wide lots have keep the area
low density for almost 100 years and the Cawthra Bush is a very significant
small forest because of it.

*

Stephen D. Murphy, B.Sc. (Hons.),
Ph.D., writes.

In terms of smart growth, the
tendency is to increase human density but there is indeed the question
as to where this increase should be. Normally we recommend increased
densities away from existing environmentally sensitive areas and into areas
already filled with roads or perhaps re-using "greyfields" (abandoned commercial
buildings, especially big-box stores).

Basically, the general answer
is that increased urbanization tends to fragment habitats - cuts them into
pieces that are too small to support within-habitat regeneration, hinders
between habitat migration critical to maintain genetic diversity in most
species (and the resultant ecosystem functions like nutrient cycling) and
leaves them vulnerable to outside influences of weather, exacerbated by
people. It is along the "edges" of habitat that problems begin because
the abrupt changes between a forest edge and surrounding habitat tend to
create rapid differences in temperature, light, and humidity. Most
native species are not adapted to this; most invasives are. The result
is the invasives replace the natives and, generally, the invasives tend
to decrease the species diversity in the habitat as the invasives outcompete
natives, reduce native species' reproduction, and generally create local
(micro) climate conditions more suited to invasives.

Encroachment and use of remaining
fragments by people further exacerbates all this.

* Focus
should be on the long-term implications of allowing such high density,
as it sets a precedent in the area. Smartgrowth should be "smart",
not just "growth". However, in Mississauga we a ruled by the Queen
of sprawl who effectually shuts the public out of the planning process.
The purpose of SmartGrowth is to ensure environmental considerations and
community needs are met, with emphasis on community involvement in decision-making
as a priority, not just allowing high intensity redevelopment everywhere.

6).
That townhouse subdivisions and their increases hard surfaces
which are drained into sewers leads to a lowering of the water table;

The removal
of the natural drainage into the watertable and replacing it with more
impervious surface cover, i.e. pavement, is harmful not just to the ecosystem
but to humans in the long term.

Recent
studies suggest building to no more than 10% impervious surface cover (i.e.
rooftops and pavement) over the land in order to retain high quality function
within watersheds and a naturally occurring drainage pattern via groundwater
flow. should refer to the City of Toronto's Wet Weather Flow report,
which documents the costs of repairing the damager to the City's rivers.
In the long term. Using the Toronto report to validate what Mississauga
needs to face up to. It will cost Toronto billions to clean up their
rivers. The plan Toronto has is long term and has some good suggestions
on what Mississauga needs to avoid doing in order to ensure it doesn't
run into the same problems in future.http://www.city.toronto.on.ca/wes/techservices/involved/wws/wwfmmp/planning.htm

Another document of potential
interest, "Impacts of Imperious Cover on Aquatic Systems" by Center for
Watershed Protection, 2003, which can be ordered from the Centre for Watershed
Protection Website at www.cwp.org

As the
City own Official plan called for the protection of the "character of a
community" and the City say townhouses should replace single family homes,
the idea of somehow including the Cawthra Bush in "character of a community",
was worth a try (after all it is a fact). However, it is turned out
to like the many scientific papers, touched on it but not directly addressed
it.

It was
noted to me that the community has to get involved, as if I didn't know
that. To attend council meetings, sign petitions and include local
businesses that rely on the health of the forest - eg bird-watchers, cottagers,
hikers, photographers, etc. http://kn.fcm.ca/ev.php
8).
The affect on forested areas & wildlife habitat in general and howurban development and human
impacts affect them & are
measured;

Park
services deal with the over use of natural areas and much can be found
at the beginning in the Internet search section regarding - Visitor impact
assessment - Visitor monitoring methods and Carrying Capacity. Try
the Canadian National Park Service, Parks and Wilderness Society of Canada
and Provincial Parks.

The US forest
services site on Urban forestry in the southern U.S. Go to the publications
page and then the bottom of the list to USDA Forest Service Publications.
Looks like some interesting resources, particularly one on Community Forestry
and Urban Growth.http://www.urbanforestrysouth.org/pubs/pubsp.asp

Micromedia ProQuest - Canadian
Environmental Directory Associations and Organizations, Governmental Regulators
and Purchasing Groups, Product and Service Companies, Special Libraries,
and more, or so they say.http://www.mmltd.com/Directories/Environment.htm

This report undertook a regional
assessment of species and habitat trends in Canada, examined current pressures
on our ecosystem, and assessed Canada's response to current conservation
needs in light of its international and domestic commitments to conserve
biodiversity.

A plan based on a long-term (see
Clause 3.1) forecast shall be prepared for each Defined Forest Area (DFA)
and revised at least every 10 years. The plan for each DFA shall
include:

a) a summary of the results of
activities for the previous planning period;

b) a statement of values, goals,
and indicators;

c) a statement of management strategy;

d) a statement of management objectives
for each indicator. Statements shall be quantified and have
a predefined acceptable level of variance. A schedule for their achievement
shall be provided, including benchmarks that can be audited;

e) current quantitative information
for each indicator;

f) a description of the assumptions
and analytic methods used for forecasting;

g) a description of the forest
management activities to be undertaken;

He has done work for Wildlife
Habitat Canada's publication on urbanization effect on wildlife - see their
website at http://www.whc.org.
Go to status reports and see the ones on urban habitats.

In the
past he wrote to us (below), about the effects of opening the forest canopy,
a method that the City foresters were using as a part of their forest management.

"In eastern Ontario forests,
increased fragmentation has caused edge effects to increase in severity.
This means that the micro-climate around the forest edge is altered and
the interior of the forest also is subjected to environmental conditions
that normally would be associated with edge habitat. These edge effects
tend to self perpetuate because they allow invasive species to colonize
sites, out-compete species that prefer shady, moist, and wind-free habitats,
and thereby kill off regeneration of tree seedlings or understorey herbs
(for example). This frees up more habitat suitable for the invasives and
they advance further into the forest. Simultaneously, the changes
in micro-climate and habitat structure indirectly affect organisms such
as insects that pollinate plants. My study focused on a beetle that pollinated
sharp-lobed hepatica. The larvae of this beetle cannot survive in a dry,
sunny area and die when edge effects alter the micro-climate. When this
happens, the hepaticas lose their sole pollinator and resort to selfing
(inbreeding) that eventually can cause severe mutations and eliminate local
populations. The problem ran be serious as hepatica is not as vulnerable
as other species that are not as proficient or adapted to selfing or clonal
replication; this means other species may be in greater peril. This concept
holds for most organisms, especially plants and animals (as opposed to
protozoans, for example)."

Adopting a modern ecological view
of the metropolitan landscape: the case of a greenspace system for the
New York City region.By Flores A, Pickett STA,
Zipperer WC, Pouyat RV, Pirani R.LANDSCAPE AND URBAN PLANNING
39 (4): 295-308 JAN 1998

ENVIRONMENTAL-EFFECTS OF FOREST
SOIL-INVERTEBRATE AND FUNGAL DENSITIES IN OAK STANDS ALONG AN URBAN-RURAL
LAND-USE GRADIENT.by POUYAT RV, PARMELEE RW, CARREIRO
MM.PEDOBIOLOGIA 38 (5): 385-399
SEP 1994This one says that urbanization
is terrible for soil and its organisms and its ecological function in nutrient
cycling.

Why we should do something.
Fragmented, isolated woodlots fail to meet the needs of most species -
including humans.By Andy Kenney and Helena Rusak.Seasons (Federation of Ontario
Naturalists), Spring 2001, page 42.